The invention relates to a housing which is used to accommodate in particular electrical switching components, comprising a housing body, a cover and a seal between the housing body and the cover, wherein the cover is fastened to the housing body using fastening elements.
The invention further relates to a method for changing over a seal of such a housing.
Such housings, also referred to as terminal boxes or used in the industrial environment as key housings, are known in various dimensions and embodiments and are needed in particular for accommodating electrical switching components or subdistributions.
Such housings are known from the prior art in various embodiments. Additionally to housing embodiments made of plastic, embodiments made of metal, in particular aluminum, galvanized sheet or stainless steel are often used.
Often, these housings do not meet the high hygienic requirements as they are imposed for example by the food industry. For example, it is difficult to clean these housings, since there is a gap between housing cover and housing body in which dirt may accumulate very quickly. The seals are often designed as foamed polyurethane seal which comprise only a low resistivity against detergents and/or disinfectants. Furthermore, such seals tend to a certain liquid absorption. A further disadvantage results for example also from the use of Philips screws as fastening elements. Dirt can settle here easily. Furthermore, in particular in regions of high potential of contamination due to splashing water or splashing liquids, respectively, liquids cannot drain in a defined manner owing to the common housing shapes, so that they partly dry at the housing. Therefore, use of these housings, in particular in fields having exceptional hygienic requirements, such as for example in food industry or even in clean room areas is only suitable to a limited extent.